…as PDP chieftain Showunmi applauds Tinubu’s road interventions
The Federal government has directed the immediate commencement of emergency reconstruction on critical sections of the Suleja-Minna road, following prolonged neglect and hazardous conditions that have claimed lives.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made the disclosure during an inspection visit, accompanied by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi; and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Segun Showunmi, among others.
According to the Minister, efforts to get the original contractors, Salini Nigeria Ltd to repair the severely damaged road over the past 18 months were unsuccessful.
“We have been on this for a year and a half, urging the contractors to return to the site. Section 1 of the road, starting from Abuja-Kano highway, is in a terrible state with tankers and trucks frequently breaking down, leading to fatal accidents,” he said.
“We’re documenting the current condition of the road for public accountability. Once work is completed, people tend to forget how bad it was. The Information Department must keep a visual record to justify our emergency action,” he said.
The Minister confirmed that the Governor of Niger State had raised concerns directly with President Bola Tinubu, who subsequently directed the Ministry to intervene.
“The State government has already constructed part of the dual carriageway through its urban renewal programme, handled by CCCC. In line with this, the Federal Government has approved CCCC to continue work under emergency terms.
“The road is 103km in total. The Governor has completed about 30km. What remains is a 71km dual carriageway, making 142km of work in total.
“This corridor is a known death trap. A journey to Minna that should take under two hours now takes seven,” he said.
He said CCCC has been given 10 days to mobilize and begin work on the most critical 7km stretch, adding, “Our engineers and theirs will jointly handle site levelling. Final design work is ongoing and will be aligned once completed.
He said sections of the road will be awarded separately, noting that while Section 2 (starting from the tear-off point) is to be fully assigned to CCCC, the Ministry will temporarily retain Section 1B for maintenance by the same contractor to ensure one fully motorable carriageway.
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He also stressed that security measures and rest areas with solar lighting and CCTV will be integrated.
PDP chieftain and former senatorial candidate, Showunmi, commended the Ministry of Works for its prompt and responsive approach.
“I had raised concerns about four key roads with the Minister, this Minna road, the Abuja–Kaduna road, Lagos–Calabar, and Sokoto–Badagry routes. I insisted this one needed immediate attention. To his credit, the Minister invited me to see the progress for myself,” Showunmi said.
Responding to questions about whether he was endorsing the current administration considering his positive impression of the road interventions, he said, “This commendation is specific to the Minister’s work. It is not a blanket endorsement of the administration. I remain critical where necessary and supportive where due.”
Sen. Nwaebonyi commended both the President and the Minister for their leadership and commitment to infrastructure delivery while emphasising the Minister’s hands-on approach to project supervision, which ensures value for money and quality execution.
On his part, the Minister of State for Works, Goronyo, applauded Showunmi’s “investigative opposition,” commending him for inspecting projects firsthand, rather than critiquing from a distance.